Automatic street-railway switch



(No Model.)

1-]. BILL.

AUTOMATIC STREET RAILWAY SWITCH.

No. 291,138. Patented Jan. 1, 1884.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EARL BILL, or CLEVELAND, onio.

AUTOMATIC STREET-RAI LWAY SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 291,138, dated January 1, 1884:,

Application filed June 9, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EARL BILL, of Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Street-Railway Switches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic railway-switches for horse-cars; and it consists in certain features of construction, and in combination of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are plan views of a switch embodying my invention, the former showing the switch in its normal conditionthat is, elosed-the latter showing the switch open.

A represents a cam-shaped block rigidly secured to the rod a, that is pivotally attached to the lever B. This lever is fulcrumed at b, and is pivotally attached to the rod 0, which in turn connects with and actuates the tongue D. To some part of the device, preferably as shown, is attached a spring, as at c, that actuates the mechanism in the direction that closes the switch-tongue. As shown in Fig. 1, the switch-tongueis closed, forming a connection on the straight track, on which cars may pass in either direction without any change in the switch. The parts are kept in this position by means of the spring 0, and it will be seen that the positionof the block A leaves only a sufficient space between it and the contiguous tread of the rail for a free passage of the flanges of the wheels. When a car comes from the curved track onto the switch, the flange of the wheel will pass behind the tongue D and move it into the position shown in Fig. 2, so that the car may pass onto the straight track without dificulty. If the car approaches from the opposite direction, and is required to pass onto the curved track, the team, as it turns its course toward the curved track, will guide the car in the same direction and cause the flange of the car-wheel to engage the block A, and move it in the position shown in Fig. 2, thereby opening the switch-tongue, so that the flange on the opposite wheel may enter behind the tongue D and guide the car onto the curved track. It will be seen that the tongue, when the switch is open, is substantially parallel with the adjacent tread of the rail, and the tongue is of such length that the flange of the forward wheel remains behind it and holds it open until the flange of the rear wheel has entered behind the said tongue.

A stop should be placed behind the block A, so asto protect the leverB and other parts from unnecessary strain.

A cover should be made to protect, as far as possible, the mechanism herein described.

What I claim is 1. In an automatic switch, the combination of a pivoted tongue, a sliding shifting-block situated in close proximity to the rail opposite the tongue,'a lever situated between the rails, one end of the said lever being pivoted to the extension a of the sliding block, and a spring-actuated rod pivotally secured to the lever and to the sliding tongue, substantially as set forth. 7

2. The combination of the block A, the rod a, the lever B, the rod 0, the spring a, and the tongue D, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification, in the presence of two witnesses, this 2d day of June, 1883.

EARL BILL.

Witnesses:

ALBERT E. LYNCH, CHAS. H. DQRER. 

